US1904613A - Article collecting machine - Google Patents

Description

April 18,1933. c. T. BRA REN 1,904,613

ARTICLE COLLECTING MACHINE I I 5 Filed Dec. 11, 1930 4 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 44 ATTORNEYS c. T. BRAREN 1,904,613 ARTICLE COLTLE'CTIQG- MACHINE April 18, 1933.

Fiied Dec. 11; 1930 -4 Shgets-She et 2 INVENTOR 1Q, ATTORNEYS I April 1933- c. T. BRAREN 1,904,613

ARTICLE COLLECTING MACHINE 9 -30 L 6* A. g

INVENTOR W [in/1M MM ATTORNEYS April 3, c. T. BRAREN ARTICLE COLLECTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR M, five ATTOR Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORNELIUS T. BRAREN, OF JAMAICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '7

TO STANDARD-KNAPP CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK ARTICLE COLLECTING MACHINE Application filed December 11, 1930. I Serial No. 501,512.

This invention relates to article-collectors of the kind employed for gathering together a plurality of articles from a number of different sources and assembling them in rows or groups of equal number for delivery to a packaging machine or the like.

Packaging machines are now employed to a.

considerable extent for packaging a plurality of small articles, such, for example, as bars of soap, packages of cereal and the like, in large cartons holding a dozen or more of the smaller articles. capable of operation at ahighcr speed than a machine which performs the final operation on the articles to be packaged, for example, a soap-wrapping machine, if soap is the article to be packaged. Hence it is customary to deliver the product of a number of wrapping machines to a single packaging machine. The delivery of wrapped articles from the wrapping machine'is not always continuous. The machines have to be shut down occasionally for adjustment, and if the Wrapping operation is not always perfect there will be gaps in the line of delivered articles where the inspectors have removed articles which do not come up to specification.

The mechanism of the present application is designed to handle bars of soap from a soap-wrapping machine and deliver the bars of soap in rows containing always a predetermined number of bars, irrespective of the operation of the several soap-wrapping machines from which the bars are collected.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which is entirely automatic in its operation, whlch is of compact design, and occupies but little floor space, which is positive in its operation, but will nevertheless handle the soap or other. articles without danger of injury to its wrappers or otherwise. v

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention designed primarily for collecting wrapped bars of soap from four wrapping machines and delivering the bars in rows of three each to the feed belt of the packing machine. The machine-selected for illustration has been used with marked success in Such machines are usually actual practice, and is shown and described in detail.

In the said drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved soap collector;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2 on line 33 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4:;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1; and

Fi s. 7-10 inclusive are detail views similar to Fig. 6 but showing the parts in different positions of operation.

Referring to the drawin'gs, particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the machine comprises a. suitable frame composed of vertical posts 1 on which are supported near thetop a pair of transverse members 2. Belt pulleys 3 and 4 are j ournaled in the side members 2 at each end thereof, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, and passing over these pulleys is a continuous belt conveyor 5 wide enough to receive four rows of soap bars with ample space between them. The belt 5 is continuously driven from a suitable driving motor 6 mountedin the lower part of the" frame and operating through reducing gearing 7 and a sprocket wheel 8 to drive the pulley 4 continuously. The bars of soap are supplied to the belt 5 in four separate rows, as indicated at 9, 10, 11 and 12, respectively, Fig. 1. each row being advanced onto the belt 5 through fixed side guides 13 which maintain the bars of soap against lateral displacement.

The bars of soap may be advanced onto the belt by any. suitable means, for example, the separate delivery conveyors indicated diagrammatically at 14 in Figs. land 3, such conveyors operating independently of the article collector, and each serving to deliver soap independently to the belt 5, across an intervenin bridge piece 14a.

a Mounte over the belt 5 at the end adjacent'the bridge piece 14a are a series of grouping devices which operate to maintain loo 1 the soap against movement with the belt vanced into the machine by the conveyor 14..

- The four grouping mechanisms are all operated from a common shaft 15 extending transversely across the machine frame above the belt 5 and continuously driven through suitable gears and a sprocket chain 16 from the driving motor.

Attached to the shaft 15 at spaced intervals and over each pair of side guides 13 are a pair of cams 17 and 18. These cams and the appurtenant devices are identical for each of the four grouping devices, and although the cams operate continuously they are effective to separate the articles into groups only when three articles have been brought into a row beneath the shaft 15 by the feed belt, as will be later described.

The grouping mechanism operated by the cams to control the incoming articles is supported on a fixed shaft 19 extending across the machine beneath and in parallelism with the shaft 15. Mounted on this fixed shaft beneath the cams is a bell crank 20 whose horizontal arm is provided with a clamping shoe 21 overlying the bridge piece 14a and adapted to engage and hold the bar of soap on the bridge piece 14a when the arm is in its lower- I most osition and to be elevated periodically there rom by the cam .17 which engages a suitable cam roller on the upwardly inclined arm 22 of the bell crank.

A light spring 23 working between a rod 24 extending across the machine alongside the camshaft and a pin 25 projecting from the hub of the bell crank, serve to hold the roller in contact with the cam and to press the shoe 21 lightly against the articles when the cam and the latching mechanism, which will be later described, permit.

Also mounted on the shaft 19 and alongside the bell crank 20 is a rock arm 26 which is normally held in horizontal position and I to the under side of the cross bar 27 and the width ofthis guide plate plus the length of the shoe 21 equals substantially the length of three bars of soap arranged end to end in the direction in which they come from the conveyor belts 14.

Pivoted at the free end of the rock arm 26 is a stop 30 projecting downwardly into position to be engaged by the end of the advancing cake of soap. This stop 30 is ivoted at the end of the arm so as to have a s ight rocking movement and is normally held with its soap-engaging face in a vertical plane by an adjustable counterweight 31 whose weight is selected with respect to the force exerted by the incoming row of articles so as to be elevated by the pressure exerted by three cakes of soap, but not to beafi'ected by the pressure of two cakes. At the free end of the arm 26 alongside the stop member 30'is pivoted latch 32 whose hooked end is adapted toengage over a projection 33 on the end of a lever 34 pivotally mounted at 35 on the rock arm 26 nearits hub. The lever 34 .is provided with a cam roller 36 working against the cam 18' and a .light spring 37 serves to hold the roller in engagement with the cam.

Fig. 4 shows the grouping mechanism looking in the direction of the arrow 44 in Fig.

As shown in Fig. 6, the parts are set to receive the first cake of soap delivered onto the belt 5 and movingforward therewith. In this position the rock arm 26 is resting on the cross bar 27 and the pivoted stop member 30 is held down in vertical position by its counterweight 31. The latch members 32 and 33 are free and the lever 34 is free to rock on its pivot35 under the influence of the cam 18. The pressure of the soap against the stop 30 is insuflicient to lift the counter weight 31 and consequently the bar of soap will remain against the stop 30 with the belt 5 slipping thereunder. Therock arm 26 is also free to be operated by its cam 17 and it will be raised and lowered on each rotation of the shaft 15'. I

Fig. 6 shows the shoe 21 elevated by the cam, while Fig. 7 shows it depressed into horizontal position. In this position the end of the next incoming cake of soap will engage the shoe 21 and be held against further advance until the shoe is elevated by the further rotation of the cam 17, when the cake will be released and be carried forward against'the first cake of soap held by the stop 30. The pressure of the two cakes ofsoap is insufiicient to lift the counterweight 31, and they will be held b the stop until a third cake is brought into t e machine. The

pressure of the three cakes of soap is sufiicient to .tilt the stop 30, as shown in Fig. 8, thus bringing the latch member 32 over the projection 33 so that when the arm 34 is next rocked by the cam 18 the rock arm 26 will be elevated with the lever 34, thereby releasing the three articles held by the stop and permitting them to advance with the belt 5 from beneath the guide 27a.

The position of the parts after the latch is engaged is illustrated in Fig. 8 and the position of the arts with the stop elevated is illustrated in ig. 9. The cams 17 and 18 are so positioned that the arm and shoe 21 will be lowered to rest upon the top of the incoming takes of soap just as the fourth cake in line reaches the bridge plate 14a, thereby stopping the further advance of the cakes of soap until the arm is again elevated by the continued rotation of the cam 17. It will be understood that the stop 30 will not be released by the pressure of the cakes of soap unless there is a fourth cake on the belt 14. That is to say, when the stop is down in the position shown in Figs. 6 and Y it will not be shifted to the position shown in Fig. 8 by the pressure of two cakes and as the third cake rests wholly on the bridge 14a, there will be no additional pressure upon the stop 30 until the fourth cake under the influence of the belt 14 engages the third cake in the manner shown in Fig. 8.

Should there be a gap in the line of incoming cakes after the fourth cake the apparatus will function to deliver three of those cakes and hold the fourth cake until the belt 14 brings up another line of cakes to make up further groups. The movement of the fourth cake through the action of the belt 14 will advance the third cake off the bridgepiece 14a onto the belt 5 so that it will move forward with the other two cakes.

The fourth cake in the row will not follow the three cakes, but will be held by the shoe 21 until the stop 30 is again in position to be engaged by the advancing cakes. The speed of the belt 5 is of course so determined with respect to the peripheral speed of the cams that the three cakes released by the stop 30 will be moved beyond the stop while the latter is held in elevated position by the cam.

The latch 32 is separately pivoted with respect to the stop 30 on the arm 26 to facilitate its engagement and disengagement. Fig.

10 shows the operation of disengaging the latch. As the cam 18 in the course of its revolution allows the arm 34 to descend the arm 26 will of course move down with it,

under the influence of spring 28, until the.

arm 26 engages the stop 27 which will occur just before the roller on arm 34 reaches the low point on cam 18. Continued rotation of the cam 18 causes a slight further descent of the arm 34, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10, thus causing the tooth 33 to be released from the pivoted dog 32, whereupon the spring 32a will withdraw the dog so that elevation of the stops 30 in the manner. described, they will be carried forward by the belt 5 until the foremost of the three engages a stop 40 suitably supported on brackets 41 attached to the posts 1 of the frame at the opposite sides of themachine and overhanging the belt 5 in position to be engaged by the advancing soap bars from all of the grouping devices.

The bars of soap thus arranged in rows of three are removed from the belt 5 by an overhanging conveyor comprising a pair of sprocket chains 42 carried by continuously driven sprocket wheels 43 and 43a mounted on cross shafts 44, 44a, respectively, suitably supported in the machine frame above and at right angles to the pulleys 3 and 4 of the belt 5. Attached -to the chains 42 are flights 45 adapted in their passage across the belt 5' to engage the rows of soap bars held by the stop member 40 and shift them transversely off the belt 5 and onto a delivery conveyor 46 by which the bars of soap may be conveyed to the-packaging machine in rows of three, thereby insuring that the desired number of bars of soap will be put in each carton.

It will be understood that the cam shaft 15 is so timed in its rotation with the driving shaft 43 and conveyor chains 42 that the flights 45 will not be opposite thecams, that is, will not be passing the space between any two adjacent side guides 13 during the interval that the stop 30 is elevated by the cam 18, thereby not interfering with the movement of the soap bars to their positions in collector as designed primarily for use in as-' sembling bars of soap, but it will be understood that the same mechanism may be readily adapted for handling articles of all kinds and may be used wherever it is desired to collect articles from a number of separate sources and forward them in orderly arrangement to a common'point.

What I claim is:

1. In an article collecting machine, the combination of means for advancing a succession of articles, a stop extending into the path of said articles, means controlled by articles and operating when a predetermined number of articles are held by said stop to release said stop and allow the accumulated articles to advance as a group, and a second stop adapted to engage the article following said group 'until said first mentioned stop is returned to position to intercept the articles.

2. In an article collecting machine, means for advancing a succession of articles and means for separating said articles into groups comprising a stop mounted for movement into and out of the .path of said articles, an actuating member for said stop, means for positively reciprocating said member in a path paralleling the path of movement of said stop and means for connecting said stop to said member when a predetermined number of articles have accumulated against said stop. I

3. In an article collecting machine means for advancing a succession of articles and means for separating said articles into groups 'comprislng a stop mounted for movement actuating member for said stop, means for positively reciprocating said member in a path parallelling the path of movement of said stop and means in the path of movement of said article and actuated by said article to connect said stop to said member when a predetermined number of articles have accumulated against said stop, and to disconnect said stop and member when the accumulated articles have been carried past said stop.

5. In an article collecting machine, a feed belt for advancing the articles and a stop mechanism for dividing the articles into groups comprising an arm movably mounted adjacent said belt, a stopmovably mounted on said arm in position to be engaged by the articles advanced by said belt when said arm is in its lowermost position, yielding means for holding said stop against the pressure of the articles advanced bysaid belt, said means being adjusted to yield under the pressure of a predetermined number of articles, and means controlled by the movement of said stop for shifting said arm to withdraw the stop from the pathof movement of said articles.

6. In an article collecting machine, a feed belt for advancing the articles and a stop mechanism for dividing the articles into groups comprising an arm mounted for oscil-- lation above said belt, a stop movably mounted on said arm in position to be engaged by the articles advanced by said belt when said arm is in its lowermost position, yielding means for holding said stop against the pressure of the articles advanced by said belt, said means being adjusted to-yield under the pres-v sure of a predetermined number of articles,

.said belt and comprising two spaced stops movable into and out of engagement with the articles onsaid belt, and means for operating said stops in timed relation to separate said articles into groups containing a predetermined number of articles as said articles pass said escapement mechanism, said means comprising an article-controlled trip for connecting said stop to its operating means when saidpredetermin'ed number of articles has accumulated adjacent said stop.

8. In an article collecting machine a belt for continuously advancing articles, and an escapement v mechanism mounted adjacent said belt and comprising two spaced stops movable into and out of engagement with the articles on said belt, and means comprising an article-controlled trip for connecting one of said stops to its operating means when a predetermined number of articles have accumulated adjacent said stop.

9. In an article collecting machinea belt for continuously advancing articles and an escapemcnt mechanism mounted adjacent said belt and comprising two spaced stops movable into and outof engagement With the articles on said belt, means for operating said stops in timed relation to separate said articles into groups containing a predetermined number of articles as said articles pass said esoapement mechanism, said means comprising an article-controlled trip for connecting said stop to its operating means when said predeterminednumber of articles has accumulated adjacent said stop, and means beyond said escapement and operating in timed relation therewith for moving said groups of articles transversely off of said belt.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

CORNELIUS T. BBAREN.

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